Toys are probably the first creative "thing" humans are introduced to. Toys offer relief, distraction, and humor. They also transport us off-world through creativity. Interestingly, toys are cross-cultural and date back thousands of years. And they teach whatever the toymaker wants us to learn. According to the documentary The History of Toys and Games, narrated by the late and great John Ritter (miss that guy), the word "toy" is rooted from an old English term for "tool."
A good college friend is obsessed with Legos and he recently gifted me figures of a rugby player (I'm loooong retired) and a cutesy Pride bear. Scattered in my home are other toys, like a troll doll my mom gave me (I was obsessed with them as a kid). Another friend gave me an "action figure" of Marie Antoinette with, yes, a detachable head, after I read Antonia Fraser's book about the infamous historical figure. While vacationing in Belgium, my B&B host gave me toy figurines from The Adventures of Tin Tin, created by Belgian artist Hergé, which I also loved as a boy.
My collection reminds me that adults probably need toys as much as children do. Childhood is fleeting, but imagination doesn't have to dissolve. As creatives, our first dip into creativity was most likely in our toy box. So what's in yours?
Ps. John Ritter forever.
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